Iowa Sustainable Business Forum

IOWA SUSTA INABLE BUS INESS FORUM Business View Magazine spoke with Adam Hammes, Executive Director of the Iowa Sustainable Business Forum, for details on the organization and insights into sustainability concerns for Iowa businesses. The following is an edited transcript of the conversation. BVM: Can you give us some background information on ISBF? Hammes: “ISBF was formed in 2014, so we’re fairly young, although we do great work. It was originally started by a bunch of companies that were networking and wanted an association to share best practices in the state. We partnered with CIRAS (Center for Industrial Research and Services) at Iowa State University to do a feasibility study; interviewed 39 companies across the state of Iowa that had been recognized for various sustainability performance achievements and asked what they needed in the realm of assistance that an association could provide. Then at the end of the year, ISBF was launched with eight initial members and five founding members who gave a big chunk of money that was matched by CIRAS to launch the association. “There were a lot of national and international networks that Iowa companies were a part of, but the State of Iowa has its own specific issues and utility costs and regulations, so we found there was a need for having a local state- focused association for sharing best practices and networking with other companies to learn how they’re managing energy, water, waste, transportation, fuels, as well as the social side of sustainability, which could cover recruitment and retention, taking care of people, diversity and inclusion, workspaces, safety, health and wellness, financial literacy, charitable giving. So, we created a broadly focused organization.” BVM: How do you communicate with membership? Hammes: “As an association we do a lot of